Gavin James Bailey

Gavin James Bailey
July 27, 2007 – October 28, 2007

The brightest stars that we can see in the sky are ones that have already burned out. Sometimes people are like that. They are only in our lives for a short amount of time but they shine so much brighter than anyone else. One of these people was a truly remarkable little boy named Gavin Bailey. He was born to giving and devoted parents who loved him very much. And he taught everyone whose lives he touched an incredible amount about strength and courage and resilience and hope.

I think that God chooses parents for a new soul and when He chose Lindsay and Jason to be Gavin’s parents, He certainly knew what He was doing. Not only did He choose parents that would love and support their son during the challenges of his short life, but He also saw to it that Lindsay and Jason would have the love and support that they needed, with a kind and generous and loving family to surround them with. The sheer will of this extended family gave Gavin all that he needed during his time on Earth.

It’s hard to understand the “why” when someone we love is taken from us, but when you see the impact Gavin made in so many lives, of the people who were touched by him even if they never met him, it must be of some comfort to know how truly special he was. To see his mother’s beatific smile as she held her son. To admire his constant patience with all of the things that were going on around him. To respect his family’s quiet perseverance during tough and trying times. And to feel the hope that he inspired with each day of his life.

To find words that can console the family on the loss of such a precious child is nearly impossible. But like the stars that shine in the Heavens, I believe that Gavin will always be with us and around us, guiding our lives with his example of just how much we can affect the lives of others, by being the pure embodiment of Love, and I hope they can find peace knowing his gentle spirit has made such and impact on the world.

Thank you Gavin.

Chicken Stew with Olives and Lemon

Here is another delicious fall recipe, although with the lemon flavors it could be served year round. Add some crusty bread to sop up the tasty sauce and a salad on the side and you have a rustic menu fit for royalty. (And it's low in calories too, less than 400 for a quarter of the recipe.) I know I have a lot of lemon going on lately but it's not as bad as my basil fetish!

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into large cubes

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons each salt and freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 large garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon capers, drained and minced

Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 3/4 cups chicken broth

1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 3/4-in. cubes

1 package (8 oz.) thawed frozen artichoke hearts, quartered if large

1 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 cup pitted medium green olives

Preparation

1. Cut each chicken thigh into 2 or 3 chunks. In a resealable plastic bag, combine flour, salt, and pepper. Add chicken, seal, and shake to coat.
2. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add chicken (discard excess flour) in a single layer and cook, turning once, until browned, 4 to 5 minutes total. Transfer to a plate.
3. Reduce heat to medium. Add garlic, capers, and lemon zest and stir just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add wine and simmer, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pan, until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add broth, potatoes, and chicken and return to a simmer. Lower heat slightly to maintain simmer, cover, and cook 10 minutes.
4. Add artichokes to pot and stir. Cover and cook until potatoes are tender when pierced, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in parsley, lemon juice to taste, and olives. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Sweet Potato Ravioli with Lemon-Sage Browned Butter

With fall finally upon us (okay people, in Vegas anything under 85 degrees is fall) here is a totally delicious recipe just right for cooler weather.

Don't worry, it's really easy and it's even good for you! (I got the recipe from the October issue of Cooking Light)

I cooked the sweet potato in the microwave the night before I made this dish. I also used a white sweet potato but it would have looked better with an orange one (labeled 'yams' in the supermarket).

I served it with cider braised greens and ham for a gourmet but still healthy and delicious twist on soul food. Enjoy!


Ingredients
1 (1-pound) sweet potato
2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
24 wonton wrappers
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
6 quarts water
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°.
Pierce potato several times with a fork; place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake at 400° for 40 minutes or until tender. Cool. (This is where I just microwaved) Peel potato; mash. Combine potato, cheese, 1/4 teaspoon salt and nutmeg in a small bowl.
Working with 1 wonton wrapper at a time (cover remaining wrappers with a damp towel to keep them from drying), spoon 1 tablespoon potato mixture into center of each wrapper. Brush edges of dough with egg white; bring 2 opposite corners to center. Press edges together to seal, forming a triangle. Repeat procedure with remaining wonton wrappers, potato filling, and egg white.
Bring 6 quarts water to a boil. Add 8 ravioli; cook 2 minutes or until done. Remove ravioli from pan with a slotted spoon. Lightly coat cooked wontons with cooking spray; keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining ravioli.
Melt butter in a small skillet over high heat. Add chopped sage to pan; cook 1 minute or until butter is lightly browned. Stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, juice, and pepper. Drizzle butter mixture over ravioli.

Last Ever Lemon Bars

Okay, we went on a picnic yesterday and I made these lemon bars. My friend Patti gave me the recipe (which she got from the Barefoot Contessa). She promised me that they were perfect, with a thick, lemon curd-like filling, and she was almost right. I have tweaked the final recipe just a tad to make adjustments for my taste buds. I though the original recipe was a little too tangy (although my family disagree) so I cut back on the lemon juice and zest just a tad and added a bit of butter to the filling for an even more curd-like consistency. These are only a little more work than the traditional lemon bar recipe but so worth it for a much better bar. And if you like it really lemony, increase the lemon juice to 1 cup and zest to 2 tablespoons.

For the crust:

1/2 pound unsalted butter at room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar2 cups flour

1/8 t. kosher salt

For the filling:

6 eggs

2 Tbsp. melted butter

3 cups granulated sugar

1 T. grated lemon zest

3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4-5 lemons)

1 cup flour

Confectioners sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350. For the crust, cream the butter and sugar until light. Combine flour with salt and add to butter until just mixed. Dump dough onto well-floured board and gather into a ball. Flatten with well-floured hands and press into 9 x 13 baking sheet, building up a 1 inch edge on all sides. Chill. Bake crust for 15 to 20 minutes until very lightly browned. Let cool on wire rack. Leave oven on.

For the filling, whisk together eggs, butter, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and flour. Pour over crust and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the filling is set. Let cool to room temperature. Cut into bars and dust with confectioners sugar.